Can a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX Hawkeye really take on a modern 740HP Mercedes-AMG GT R? This unlikely showdown puts old-school Japanese tuning against German supercar performance. The Subaru packs a fully built EJ25 2.5-litre turbocharged flat-four producing 550bhp, a manual gearbox and legendary symmetrical all-wheel drive. Its opponent is a Stage 2 tuned Mercedes-AMG GT R, featuring a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 740bhp, rear-wheel drive and an advanced multi-stage traction control system.

The battle includes timed quarter-mile runs, head-to-head drag races and rolling races, putting both cars’ power delivery, traction and driver skill to the test. Despite having nearly 200bhp less, the Subaru proves surprisingly competitive off the line and even takes a drag race victory. The Mercedes eventually comes out on top overall, using its extra power to pull ahead, but the old-school Impreza makes this far closer than expected. With a fastest quarter-mile time of 11.28 seconds for the Subaru against 11.43 seconds for the AMG, this is a brilliant reminder that horsepower isn’t everything. For more content like this one follow us also on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram!